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Wednesday, 16 March 2016

Moloch/Lich - "Moloch/Lich" Split 12inch (Review)

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Split 12inch

Date Released: 5/01/2016

Label: Dry Cough Records|

Vendetta
Records |

Vetala
Productions

Moloch contribute two slabs of crawling, lumbering sludge.
“Disability” is nine minutes of creeping despair, pummelling riffs and pained
vocals combining to harrowing effect. The whole thing is caked in thick distortion
and squalling feedback. Lich use their
side of this release to rattle through 8 tracks of break-neck power violence
punctuated with crushing breakdowns. They
occupy a similar stylistic space to Moloch, but filter their noise through a
punk/hardcore lens without losing focus on the riffs. This is a strong split, both sides equally
matched in terms of ear-bleeding ferocity. An essential purchase for
connoisseurs of sonic filth, this is a powerful document of the UK underground.

“Moloch/Lich” Split 12inch LP track listing:

1). Moloch – Disability

2). Moloch - Holding the Hand of Someone Dying

3). Lich – Beggar’s Teeth

4). Lich – Rat Teeth

5). Lich – Fields of Malice

6). Lich – Negation Delirium

7). Lich – Dead Water

8). Lich - Disir

9). Lich – Lazarus Pit

10). Lich – Hat Trick of Idiocy

The Review:

Extremes of tempo are always welcome in heavy
music. This split LP is a fine example of this, with Kent’s Lich occupying the faster end of the spectrum, while
Nottingham’s Moloch firmly embedded at the turgid depths.
What unites these bands is a single-minded dedication to producing an ugly racket,
regardless of speed.

Moloch contribute
two slabs of crawling, lumbering sludge. “Disability”
is nine minutes of creeping despair, pummelling riffs and pained vocals
combining to harrowing effect. The whole thing is caked in thick distortion and
squalling feedback. It occupies a potent middle ground between the heavy
hitters of doom and the gnarliest noise rock. “Holding The Hand Of Someone Dying” is every bit as bleak as it soul-crushing
title, continuing the previous track’s onslaught while adding hints of
off-kilter discordance, reminiscent of Primitive Man. These
tracks are Moloch’s strongest to date and bode well for
future releases. Hopefully a full-length offering is somewhere on the horizon.

Lichuse their side of this release to rattle through 8 tracks of break-neck power violence
punctuated with crushing breakdowns. Now, sadly defunct, the band boasted
members of awesome UK scream bands Battle of Wolf 359 and Me And Goliath. There are hints of these sounds here, mixed
with a more aggressive metallic approach and played through amps, barely
clinging to life as they are pushed to breaking point. They occupy a similar
stylistic space to Moloch, but filter
their noise through a punk/hardcore lens without losing focus on the riffs.
It’s a shame this will be the final release from Lich, but
hopefully this split will allow more people to realise what a devastating force
they were.

This is a strong split, both sides equally matched
in terms of ear-bleeding ferocity. An essential purchase for connoisseurs of
sonic filth, this is a powerful document of the UK
underground.

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